WASHINGTON: Pakistan is half way through the construction of its fourth nuclear reactor at Khushab, which will give it capability to speed up plutonium manufacturing, latest US satellite imagery has revealed.

On completion, the reactor would enable Islamabad to build large number of smaller nuclear warheads, Washington-based eminent think-tank Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) said.

Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme is considered to be among the fastest growing in the world by Stockholm-based International Peace Research Institute, with the estimates of Islamabad possessing 90-110 nuclear warheads.

Releasing the latest satellite imageries, ISIS said construction of the fourth Khushab reactor and supporting buildings is progressing with the reactor building about halfway to completion.

Based on the available imagery ISIS estimates that the construction of the fourth reactor is proceeding about 30 percent faster than construction on reactor three and that major external work could be complete within fifteen months.

The reactor, located 200 kilometres south of Islamabad, is the latest addition to the Khushab nuclear site and is dedicated to the production of plutonium for nuclear weapons.

In addition to the fourth reactor, the Khushab site includes two reactors similar in shape to the fourth one, a heavy water production plant, and an original, nominal 50 megawatt-thermal heavy water reactor completed in 1998.

"This increase in plutonium production represents a growing nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan," it said, adding in order to avoid a dangerous escalation, the US and the world community should increase efforts to convince Pakistan to stop blocking negotiations of the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty at the Geneva Conference on Disarmament.

Far out they are building nuclear reactors left, right and centre. I wish only if they were that good with the economy.

Humanity's past on this planet is based on the biggest Lie in History--and the same Lie will destroy humans in future! The Truth is infront of us and yet we refuse to accept it, we refuse to see it, we refuse to listen to it. Humans are intelligent and yet the dumbest beings ever!

........ when the first drop of a Munafiq's blood drops in the Kaa'bah ........

........ the Black Flags Army shall rise from Khurasan and commence its earth rumbling march toward Damishque. Any force that tries to come in its path, shall be destroyed with ruthless destruction. Awaiting, upon reaching Damishque, the safron and beads of pearls and the Black Turban that shall lead the Salah of Fajr .........

........ the stones and trees of Lud shall cry out to the Black Flags and tell them of the Munafiqs, Yahuds and Kuffar that are hiding behind them, to come and kill them. That day shall be the day of reckoning, the day of justice, the day when no power shall hold and unfair advantage. The battle shall be fought and won by way of faith ........

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Posted 24 October 2012 - 02:34 AM

Better would be micro-financing solar panels and biogas digesters.

This would help increase the power independence of those in farms and rural areas (and even cities)...instead of creating another huge investment in top down infrastructure that will often be beset by centralised corruption and transmission problems.

Is this plant going to produce any electricity or is it only going to focus on weapons grade plutonium?

If the latter....doesn't Pakistan already have enough warheads to ensure complete deterrence (and should rather invest in cutting edge delivery platforms)?

@Krad
yes it would be better to micro-finance solar panels and biogas digesters, however that doesn't lend itself to centralized corruption like the top down infrastructure projects do, and by now you've been on this forum long enough to realize our leaders only come into power so that they may line their pockets as effectively as possible.

As far as point two, I believe this is a prime example of the corrupt and unpatriotic civilian setup working in conjunction with corrupt and patriotic military setup where both can benefit financially on personal levels as well as get weapons grade plutonium.

As deterrence go I think we don't have complete deterrence yet, and delivery platforms should also be a concurrent focus, and I believe they are--just not on the news.

SWEET IS SLEEP TO ME AND EVEN MORE TO BE OF STONE,WHILE THE WRONG AND SHAME ENDURE.TO BE WITHOUT SIGHT OR SENSE IS A MOST HAPPY CHANGE FOR ME,THEREFORE DO NOT ROUSE ME. HUSH! SPEAK LOW. I said to God "I hate Life" God replied "Who asked you to love life? Just Love me & life will be beautiful" Living in favorable and unfavorable conditions is PART of living. Smiling in all those conditions is ART of living."Anytime you think you need to protect God, you can be sure you're worshiping an idol"